Belogradchik Rocks

The Belogradchik Rocks (Bulgarian: Белоградчишки скали, Belogradchishki skali) are a group of strange shaped sandstone and conglomerate rock formations located on the western slopes of the Balkan Mountains (Stara Planina) near the town of Belogradchik in northwest Bulgaria. The rocks vary in color from primarily red to yellow; some of the rocks reach up to 200 m in height. Many rocks have fantastic shapes and are associated with interesting legends. They are often named for people or objects they are thought to resemble. The Belogradchik Rocks have been declared a Natural Landmark by the Bulgarian government and are a major tourist attraction in the region.

The Belogradchik Rocks are spread over the western part of the Balkan Mountains and cover an area of 50 sq. km. They extend from the village of Rabisha in the west to the village of Belotintsi in the east. The central group of rocks is situated just to the south and adjacent to the town of Belogradchik. Located here are the most interesting and impressive formations: Adam and Eve, the Mushrooms, the Schoolgirl, the Bear, the Dervish, the Shepherd Boy, the Lion, the Camel, the Madonna, the Horseman, the Monks, the goddess Bendida, the Rebel Velko, and many other stone figures. The second group of rocks lies to the west of Belogradchik. The rocks are of the Alpine variety and are surrounded by steep precipices. The most famous of these rocks are Zbegovete, Erqupriya, and Boritch. The third group of rocks lies 4 km to the east of Belogradchik and includes the rocks around the Latin Gate and the Lipenik Cave. The fourth group of rocks lies between the villages of Borovitsa and Falkovets. These rocks include the Pine Stone, the Bee Stone, the Torlak, and the Maid’s Rock. The fifth group of rocks lies between the villages of Gyurgich and Belotintsi.The formation of the Belogradchik Rocks started during the Permian period, about 230 million years ago, when the tectonic cycle was folding to create the Balkan Mountains and elevating the region of Belogradchik. Later, during the Triassic period, the region became the floor of a shallow sea. At the same time, the destruction of the earlier Paleozoic rocks formed enormous quantities of gravel, sand and clay, which were deposited by the rivers into the sea basin. The sediment piled up and gradually became thicker layers of conglomerates and sandstone, with the conglomerate pieces becoming well rounded over time by the forces of water. During the Jurassic period, over a period of 20 million years, the layered materials became firmly glued together by sand-clay solder or silicon. The hot and dry climate formed a great amount of iron oxide, or hematite, which gave the rocks their rusty red color. When the earth’s crust started to settle, lighter and smaller sandstones merged with the red conglomerates. At the beginning of the Cenozoic era and the early Alpine tectonic cycle, large anticlines, or folds were being formed in the Balkan Mountains, and during this time the region turned to dry land. About 45 million years ago, the rising of the Belogradchik anticline began, and during this folding, the limestone and the conglomerates in the core cracked, creating vertical and horizontal rifts in the ridge of the anticline. In the core of the Belogradchik anticline, Paleozoic rocks are found and the slopes are formed of conglomerates, sandstone, and Jurassic limestone.The vertical penetration and surface rivers favored vertical erosion of the rock layers, and the rifts, where tectonic movements occurred, were transformed by the erosion in small valleys and passes with vertical or steep slopes forming separate vertical blocks seen today as the rock figures.The Bulgarian Committee of the Natural Environment declared the rocks as a natural monument in 1949, and the rocks were listed in the Bulgarian National Register of Natural Landmarks in 1987. In 1984, the Belogradchik Rocks and the Magura Cave were both placed on the Tentative List of places to be named to the UNESCO World Heritage Site list. The Belogradchik Rocks are under consideration as a Geopark in the European Geoparks Network and the UNESCO Global Geoparks Network.

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